The present invention generally relates to producing sugars from biomasses.
In thermochemical processing of biomass, most reaction processes involve a pretreatment step with a humid environment. The biomass pretreatment step typically involves acid hydrolysis or autohydrolysis, in which acid or water is added to the biomass in a pressurized reactor.
In a typical reactor, the material is immersed and soaked in liquid and heated to the desired temperature and pressure via steam and/or other gaseous material. The pretreated material is then discharged through the bottom of the reactor vessel. The acidic conditions in the reactor vessel and the discharge device may require expensive materials of construction for the reactor discharge.